Fauna Marin Seawater Lab Test Results

[Nighthawk26]

So I decided to give this a try and see what sort of baseline I could get from my system. Was particularly curious as I was about to switch from Red Sea Coral Pro salt to Fauna Marin, and will do the test again in a few months once I have switched over to that salt, as well as moving from ESV to Fauna Marin Balling salts with trace elements.

Pretty thorough and not only nice to see professionally tested numbers, but also analysis of those numbers. They will even advise you how to correct certain things if need be. Claude, the Founder of Fauna Marin is eager assist which I was impressed with.

I will attach the file I was emailed today with the results of my samples that were sent to Germany.

http://bigshowfrags.com/labor-test-professional-water-testing-business-fauna-marin/

 

[thehvacman]

Cool! Thanks for sharing. I find it wierd that fluoride is important, only way to get that is in tap water.

 

[heath]

very interesting, the salinity really surprised me...

 

[Nighthawk26]

I should also add that one of the reasons I wanted to see the results from this lab test is to see how it compares to home testing being done.

I did record the water parameters at the same time I drew the water as samples.

Salinity I measure with a Red Sea refractometer. I have been questioning accuracy for a long time. Depending how I calibrate it (based on various opinions), I get completely different results. At the same time I use an APEX which says on average 31.5. So much reading on these says people always find it low so MANY calibrate to tank water. But what are people using to determine that is the question. My fracto reads 1.025

Salifert kits I use for Mag, and cal. I came to 1380, and 420. Lab showed 1390/416. Alk I use the newer Hanna DHK meter, and I get 8.9, lab shows 7.5. I also have salifert for this left, and reading that comes up arguably at the same level as hanna. Phosphate I use Hanna as well. It will almost always read 0. SOMETIMES .02 PPM. N03 is so hard to gauge with salifert and shades of pink, but MAYBE one could argue IF anything .5? All these tests at approx 77-77.5 degrees. PH reads 7.90 to 8.10 typically, and lab puts it right in there.

So my confusion about the salinity remains, yet this test shows it's not quite as clear cut to measure, period. The cal, and mag is so spot on, as is the NO3 and phosphate that I'm kinda impressed, but the ALK is what leaves a little confusion. Especially given my salifert and my Hanna read almost identically.

 

[Skim]

You have some nice numbers there. I have read that Alk. is a tough thing to measure with the kits we have for the hobby and that 90% of the time the reading we get will be on the high end to what it really is. Its is hard to compare a $25.00 or $60.00 kit to a Mass spectrometer that runs into thousands. Now Salinity for the little I have look into is measured in PSU as it is the Laboratory standard and S.G should not be used as it is influenced by many things, biggest being Temp., from what I have read we should be using PSU or a least PPT when making Saltwater and taking readings with 35 psu as a the target. I have seen some studies where 38 PSU is recommended for Corals from the Indo-Pacific. Now with my Milwaukee Salinity meter if I hit the target of 35 PSU it reads 36 PTT and 1.028-1.029 S.G, 38 PSU reads 39 PTT and if I remember correctly 1.033-1.036 S.G. somewhere around there maybe even more I now it was high.
Basically what I read was we should not be reading S.G. not even worry about it and measure PSU and shoot for 35 as it is the average and even a little higher on some Coral Reefs as PSU is the measure of the salts in the water and S.G. is the Density at a given temp. So what does this all mean, I don't quite know as for me anyhow it is some tough reading and understanding to make sense of some of these lab reports. It is funny because I am in the process of slowly increasing my PSU to 35 maybe even 38 as I read one report, when Corals were taken from Reef in the Indo-Pacific that was at 38 PSU and put into different Salinities they suffered stress and many died when put into 34 PSU 36 PSU should stress and 40 also started to die ( Bleach and RTS ) could this be why Reefers have a hard time with some Corals or why we get those unexplained sudden RTS that everyone is trying to guess the cause.
Don't know if this helps or not. But your Apex seems to be inline with my Milwaukee. 1.025 = 31 PTT and 30 PSU.

 

[Nighthawk26]

Talking to Claude, he says measuring with conductivity (in out case, APEX), is the best way to try to achieve things. That said, I am then running into the situation of wondering if 35 is what I'm still shooting for. I have been for the last few weeks raising that. As it stands now when I look, I range from 32.4 and 33. So your point, depending if I'm on the lower side of my temp swing being 77, or the high end being 78. Frankly, what he really mostly said to me was mix his salt exactly as indicated, and it will be bang on where it needs to be. Very specific number of grams per L. You can literally hear his blood boil when you talk to him on the phone commenting on NA and the adding of "cups per gallon".

 

[Skim]

I know this can give you sleepless nights, whatever happen to the days of dipping the Hydrometer in and watching that arm swing, Ah 1.025 and thinking all is well in the world. I would not worry too much about it and just slowly increase till you hit 35. Boy you want to make his blood really boil tell him his mix is off because he just proved it as your Potassium is low and Chloride, the low Potassium alone could be why you don't see 35. I was just kidding about getting his blood to boil, he would most likely say it's not the mix it's you and your grams/l measurements. You could always add a cup or 2 of salt mix to your top up and bring your Salinity up instead of water changes. As it is now you have some outstanding water parameters.

 

[Nighthawk26]

As mentioned, I did this as I am coming off Red Sea Coral Pro. I will be doing another one in a few months after we have essentially had all the water swapped out and the system running with his Balling salts and elements. Now, if we are still in the same spot then. Perhaps his blood needs to boil! l

 

[Skim]

Well I checked my Salinity and, drum roll please, 35 psu and S.G 1.028. I guess my last water change finally got me there.

 

[Nighthawk26]

Ok, so you are trying to be accurate with psu then? Cause 1.028 is high, no?

 

[Skim]

I am due for a water change and I also want to recalibrate the Milwaukee and I also have the Red Sea Refractometer, so I will test and compare. I am wanting the 35 psu 1.0265 would the ideal.

 

[Nighthawk26]

How are you calibrating the RS? Instructions say use DI. I assume because they have made the unit for sea water, not brine like most other refractometers. Others insist use 35 psu solution. If I calibrate both ways, I get COMPLETELY different numbers, so I am shooting for in between for now. Beyond that, talking to Claude, this is the only thing that should be used, as it has all components in it that are in sea water, where as the usual 35 psu solution is missing most.

http://bigshowfrags.com/multi-reference-solution-fauna-marin/

 

[Skim]

I go by what manufacture says and use the DI do find that when the 2 are Calibrated they both show the same. I real do like the Red Sea unit and I am surprised that at how many people do not. It is the only refractometer that I know with a calibration standard done at 75 F ( 25 C ) everything else is 20 C or lower.

 

[Nighthawk26]

I tend to agree. I was going to buy the Milwaukee as well, so let me ask you then. Between Red Sea and Milwaukee, when you calibrate each as told, what salinity do you come to? And then on the Milwaukee, when you select PSU, what does it show as a translated number there?

I was all for the Red Sea, but when everyone poo poos on it, it gives me pause.

 

[Skim]

I was just going over the Milwaukee manual and noticed that PSU and PTT is +/- 2 accuracy for either which is quite disappointing, but the S.G is .002+/- accuracy which is very good, so I guess I will go by S.G readings as it seem to be the most accurate for this unit. Now for the Red Sea unit, I believe this is the unit people should have if they don't want to fork out for the Milwaukee. Now for Calibrating with a base Salinity is great for units that are not calibrated to test Seawater and Milwauke, Red Sea and I believe D&D have based their Algorithms on Seawater so to get the most accurate reading would be to test from the purest start point DI water or Distilled. On a the subject of accuracy, the Red Sea maybe the most accurate because of one simple thing, it's temp. base for the calculations of the Algorithms is 25 C ( 77 F ) much closer to the temps we have in our Tanks, others are 20 C ( 68 F ) and 15 C ( 59 ). Found some interesting things maybe a eye opener. I know everyone says use 1.026 S.G 35 ptt as this is the average of the Oceans water now look at these, one Salinity and one for temp. kinda make you go Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Nighthawk26]

Yeah, I am aware of the +/- on the Milwaukee. I just checked last night on that for the Red Sea and on the paperwork at least, I saw nothing. I will recalibrate my Red sea later tonight to DI, and see where it is. I am betting I will now be high.